Free Guy – Absolute Treat
Director: Shawn Levy
Writer: Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn (Screenplay)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery
Plot: A bank teller discovers that he’s actually an NPC inside a brutal, open world video game.
Tagline – The world needed a hero. They got a guy.
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Free Guy starts as we meet Guy (Reynolds) a NPC (Non-playable character) in a video game world called Free City, his character has a routine, unaware of what is going on around him. When he starts thinking outside of his programming after meeting Molotov Girl (Comer), he starts to question everything about world.
When Guy starts following Molotov Girl around, he stands becoming a viral sensation for not being a violent character, leading to the real Molotov Girl, Millie, teaming up with her former design partner Keys (Keery) who works for Soonami the company behind Free City, to try and save Guy from the potential end of the world from the owner Antoine (Taititi).
Thoughts on Free Guy
Characters & Performances – Guy is the NPC character in this world, having a routine which he thinks makes each day great, with the saying ‘don’t have a good day, have a great day’, working at the bank, which is waits through each heist on a hourly rate. He starts to think for himself, against the programming he should have, becoming a viral sensation that changes the game forever, saving the residents in the world. He is unaware of anything outside of his world, which will be shown in how he doesn’t understand certain things being said to him. Ryan Reynolds is perfect in this role, he brings the charm and charisma to this character unlike anyone else could have. Millie is the real world, Molotov Girl in Free City, is searching for something in the game, proof that her game mechanics were stolen and used in this game to finally win a lawsuit, she will guide Guy through the game, looking to do the right thing within the game and outside. Jodie Comer playing the dual roles, gives her the action star in the game and the geeky figure outside of it, she plays both roles perfectly. Antoine is the owner of the Soomani that will do anything for money, aiming to make sure the numbers are always in his favour, no matter who he steps on. Wildly lively and believing he is untouchable, Taika Waititi looks like he is having a ball in this villainous role. Keys is the former partner of Millie’s he ended up working for Antoine, but finds himself reluctantly helping her once Guy starts acting differently. Joe Keery plays this role well, being the most down to Earth character in the film. Lil Rey Howery and Utkarsh Ambudkar are excellent in their supporting roles, where they will both get extra laughs needed in the film.
Story – The story here follows a simple everyday NPC video game character that starts to think for himself, just before the game is about to get deleted for an update, who unwittingly starts a revolution in the gaming world. The best way to describe this story you be a blend of The Truman Show, Wreck it Ralph, Ready Player One and The Lego Movie. This story has plenty of layers, with the Guy character learning to enjoy his life and stop following a routine. While Millie is in the battle for proof of her work being stolen, while a corrupt owner of the company is betraying everyone around him. It comes together perfectly to make each scene enjoyable and having the message pushed through.
Themes – Free Guy is a comedy that will shine a light on the video game culture, that can enjoy their violent side within the game, while one of the characters starts doing good in the city. The action plays into video game violence, where most moments are unrealistic, but work perfectly for the film, with some great pop culture references. The effects work perfectly for the video game idea too, making nearly every look flawless, despite the complex style of one certain sequence. The locations work wonderfully too, showing us that even inside a game there are quiet places, where the real world players don’t explore.
Final Thoughts – Free Guy is one of the biggest treats of the year, one that will make you laugh throughout the whole film.
